The sky above the castle was gray today, thick with clouds like it might rain.

You sat beneath your favorite tree by the lake.

This used to be the place where everything began.

It was here that Mattheo first found you, tossing rocks into the lake. He never spoke much, but he always sat close by, as if your presence made the silence easier.

Tom came next. People said he didn’t feel anything, but you’d seen the cracks in his armour. He listened when you spoke. He watched you when you weren't looking. You were the only person he let see how tired he was.

Draco brought drama, but also honesty. When he was with you, he let his guard down. He talked more. He laughed loudly. He always found you in the corridors when he needed to breathe.

Blaise, distant with everyone else, yet always kind to you. He once told you that you made people feel safe just by existing. You held onto that like a fragile charm.

Then there was Theo, with his soft voice. On bad days, he would read aloud to you, pretending it was for him, but he would always pause when you smiled.

Lorenzo brought life, music and laughter to your world. Then, one night after a duel, he collapsed into your arms and whispered, “You’re the only one who makes me feel alive.”

And Regulus. Beautiful, tragic, distant Regulus, who never let anyone in — until you. He once told you, “You make the war inside me stop for a minute.”

You didn’t know when it changed. Maybe it was gradual. Perhaps that's what made it worse.

The new girl arrived. She was gorgeous and effortlessly so. She carried herself as though she belonged in every room. You tried to welcome her. You tried not to compare. But slowly, they drifted apart.

Mattheo stopped coming to your tree.

Tom's eyes, which had once been sharp and curious when they found you, barely flickered anymore.

And Draco didn't even say goodbye. He just stopped sitting beside you in class; his new spot beside her was now permanent.

Blaise avoided your gaze in the corridors.

Theo no longer shared his books with you.

Lorenzo’s laughter, which you once shared like a secret, now belonged to her.

Regulus didn't even flinch when he passed you in the courtyard yesterday. Just a glance. Blank. As if you were air.

You held onto hope. Maybe it was just a phase. Maybe they’d remember you.

But that morning, you saw them all together in the hall. She was sitting in the middle, laughing and looking radiant. The boys — your boys — looked at her as though she were the most important thing in the world.

Not one of them looked for you.

Not one of them.

Now, here you were. At the tree. Alone.

You hugged your knees tighter and stared at the lake. The surface was still and deceptively calm. You felt a tremor building in your throat, but you refused to let it out. It wasn't just that they left; it was that they never said they were leaving.

You weren’t angry.

Just… hollow.

And so, slowly, you stood up.

Maybe you weren’t their soft spot anymore.

Maybe they were never meant to stay.

But you were still here.

And maybe — just maybe — that meant you’d find new strength. Not because of them.

But in spite of them.